10 essential time-saving Photoshop tips

Fast, fluent editing

One of the hallmarks of mastery is the ability to get more done with less effort. It can be a treat to watch somebody work with a tool or do an activity that they are truly fluent in - no superfluous movement or wasted energy.

I've been using Photoshop since version 3, released back in 1994; my copy came on seven 3.5" floppy discs just like this (that's actually pretty impressive, considering that those seven floppies would only fit one reasonably high-quality mp3 today). Despite having almost 20 years of experience with Photoshop, I am constantly learning new ways to improve my productivity with the software.

In this article, I'll share 10 shortcut tips and tricks that I use every day to streamline my workflow. The goal of these shortcuts is to allow editing to progress in a smooth, uninterrupted fashion. Whenever I need to click into a menu - or, worse, dock my stylus in order to type something with both hands - it's like hitting a speed bump. It kills my productivity.

To maintain efficiency, I keep one hand on the mouse or tablet stylus as much as possible, and use the other hand to update tools, settings or contexts via keyboard shortcuts - I call this "fluent editing."

Here are the shortcuts that I find most useful, along with tips for combining them in a fluent manner. While many of these shortcuts and techniques may be familiar to you already, they can be combined to minimize context switches for maximum efficiency.

1. Scrubby zoom

While using zoom (magnifying glass) tool: click and drag left or right

Scrubby zoom is a feature that some users find annoying until they start using the "fluent editing" (one hand to mouse / one hand to hotkey) approach. To use this feature: while using the zoom tool, click and hold the mouse button, then drag the mouse left to zoom out or right to zoom in - no extraneous clicks and no extra keys to zoom out. Just click and drag until you reach the appropriate zoom level.

To enable Scrubby Zoom, check the box in the Zoom tool's palette. You may also need to select "Enable OpenGL Drawing" under Preferences -> Performance.

2. Scrubby hand

In any tool, hold space bar and drag the image

I don't know if this feature has a proper name - I call it "scrubby hand" since it feels similar to scrubby zoom to me. Regardless of the name, it's incredibly useful when you're working on an image at a high zoom level.

Rather than mousing over to the scroll bars or switching to the hand tool to pan your image, just hold down the space bar - your pointer will turn into the "hand" tool icon; you can now simply click anywhere in the image (while continuing to hold the space bar) and move the visible part of the image, similarly to how you would move an image on a tablet or smartphone.

Imagine you were zoomed in to edit this small flyaway hair, which goes off the top of the screen. Without leaving the healing tool or mousing over to the scroll bars, simply hold space and click to pan the image with the scrubby hand to get the rest of the hair.

3. Temporary tools

Hold any tool shortcut key

Let's say that you're using the paint brush tool to paint on a layer mask, and you want to change zoom level before continuing to paint.

The non-fluent approach requires 3 steps:

Type (z) to switch to the magnifying glass

Use scrubby zoom to change the zoom level

Type (b) to go back to the brush tool

It's even worse if you're not yet familiar with the tool hotkeys.

The fluent approach: just hold down z and drag to use scrubby zoom. When you release z, Photoshop will automatically return you to the brush tool.

This technique works for temporarily changing to any tool, not just zoom. Simply hold down the hotkey for the tool you wish to use temporarily.

4. New layer

With options dialogue: Ctrl+Shift+N / Cmd+Shift+N

Without options dialogue: Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N / Cmd+Shift+Option+N

On many of the images I edit, this is the first command I execute. I often start with a new empty layer for baseline retouching. I use a non-destructive editing workflow, which means that I make changes to my images in a way that allows the edits to be tweaked or reverted at a later time. This is useful for situations where you learn a better way of doing something, or the capabilities of the software you're using improve.

For example, after I started using the color blending mode to adjust odd skin tones, I was able to go back and update photos on which I'd originally used a less-effective combination of hue/saturation and curves adjustment layers, but I didn't have to start from scratch.

This layer stack contains many non-destructive edits, each on their own layer or adjustment layer.

Pro tip: when you're creating a large number of layers and adjustment layers, it can be very useful to give them meaningful names, such as "global contrast" or "dust spot retouch." Some of my more heavily massaged images can have 10 or more layers, so it's useful to have left yourself hints as to what's going on if you ever re-edit the image.

5. Merge stamp visible

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E / Cmd+Shift+Option+E

Once you have a pile of layers and adjustment layers, it is sometimes necessary to composite them together (e.g., to apply a filter to the overall image). This command is a one-handed shortcut that creates a new layer comprised of all of the currently visible layers in your layer stack. I don't know how I survived before learning this one.

The selected layer was created with "merge stamp visible" in order to produce a composited base to apply a filter.

When using filters, I often find it useful to annotate the layer name with information about the filter settings used (in this case, Color Cast / Contrast / Dynamic Contrast values for Nik Software Color Efx Pro's "Pro Contrast" filter).

Comments

We are all different and this is why photoshop is so good - there are 5 different ways and might be even 6 ways to do one thing. So you decide which way to go. But for me not to use shortcut is just like watch TV without remote control. You can pick up one shortcut a week. By the end of the year you have just plenty. And for the time you save go to the pub and have a Pint with friends rather than sitting at the computer. thanks for the post. I didnot know about scrubby zoom. I zoom with scroll wheel.

Tip 1 is an alternative way of zooming that some people might find more convenient. Tip 3 says right there, it "works for temporarily changing to any tool, not just zoom". Did you even read the article before you criticised it?

I also use most of these already but they should be useful for the less experienced, my top tip is to buy a gaming mouse with programmamble buttons, you can save lots of time once you remember what tools you have programmed.I do not understand why people waste their time writting negative comments, just move on..!

Thank you for these tips! Although I knew a few, others will be excellent new ways to use PS. I'm a bit shocked at all the troll posts - really? If you are so advanced in the use of PS, then perhaps you have better things to do with your time. Also, LR is lovely, but there's still loads of things that one needs PS in order to fine tune most images. Thanks again for taking the time to share your knowledge!

These are not essential tips but just a few key short cuts. Some of them aren't even useful as the same can be done easier (like zooming via mouse wheel). If you are interested in Photoshop just take one of the many very good beginners guides out there. That is a universe more useful than tips like these

Thank you for sharing. Not all of us have the experience (or time in life) to have discovered the most useful shortcuts yet. This is very useful. More please! Those who 'know it all', why come to such a site at all?

People on this site get so full of themselves. This isn't a private website catered to you and only you. If it's too "basic for a site like this" then shouldn't you be well-versed enough for the title of the article to tip you off that you won't learn anything? After all, as a self-proclaimed expert in an expert community full of expert knowledge, "essential /tips" are probably things you already know, since, being an expert, you know all the essentials already.

Honestly. And people get so arrogant over comments too. Someone comments with "lol" or "bad don't like" and people go nuts over the simplicity. Hello, it's a higher-end photography site, but it's still the Internet. Not every comment has to be a sophisticated piece of literature offering a balanced, objective, insightful critique. Sometimes a comment can just be a comment.

Sorry pal, you want the beef, you gotta take the b--------t along with it. DPReview is No. 1 in all areas: really helpful impartial reviews, easy-to-follow technical articles, timely news, and disappointing comments.

Here's an important interface trick that took me a while to figure out. Ctrl + and - zoom in and out. When you have the crop tool selected and a crop area engaged, you can't toggle to the zoom tool to zoom in on the edges of the selection to make sure they are correct, but you can use ctrl + to zoom in.

I think this article is OK, I know how to use Photoshop since about 10 years and have little to learn from this one but remember neither of us was the last beginner, every moment there is somebody starting anything including learning image editing so it is form them.

I've been using photoshop for so long that I perform most of these shortcuts and more without even thinking. Anyone starting out, who processes a number of photos at a time or is under time constraints definitely needs to consider learning these and more. And don't be afraid to customize your shortcuts and you too, in the long run, will be saving time. And really, you don't need to be processing a lot of photos at a time. Even just a few here and there and you'll be surprised at how you'll have more time to shoot than spending it in front of your monitor. That's what we all want, isn't it?

I simply set the scroll wheel to zoom in or out (preferences). Moving the mouse around to any area and scrolling the wheel I can instantly zoom in or out of that area. Works with a lot of the tools. I can't imagine anything faster.

Been around since Photoshop 1 (Mac) and 2.5 on PC. So there. :) Does it matter? NO

Point 5 is in regards to making a composite of your full layer stack. Imagine you're working on an image that has edits on several layers - maybe some adjustment layers as well as some raster edits - and you want to apply a filter to the whole thing. Filters generally affect a single layer. Therefore, you need to roll all of your changes up into a single layer and run your filter on that. The "merge stamp visible" shortcut does exactly this.

Correction:6: There exists a way to use numbers for Zero Opacity for a tool or layer. Type "0" twice in quick succession (do it when NOT using a tool that requires Opacity if you intend it for the layer)

"I keep one hand on the mouse or tablet stylus as much as possible, and use the other hand "

That says it all - you have to maintain an uncomfortable and awkward seated position because Adobe hasn't the nouse to write software that utilises the RH mouse control. Simple things such as just zooming in/out or setting clone point/cloning are a pain in Photo$hop. These can be done single handed in Corel - a particular advantage in cloning which needs precision.

Adobe needs a clip round the ear for producing expensive and antiquated software that can't even manage memory successfully. Try the Gimp, Corel and NX2 (the last for superior RAW processing if you're a Nikon user).

The Gimp has similar functionality to CS3 (and some of its flaws) but of course is free. Corel has much more functionality than any version of Photo$hop, together with superior workflow and Color Efex Pro is included as a freeby - a very powerful combination.

People have been sucked in by Photo$hop as it's supposed to be the industry standard but there's far better out there now as is well illustrated by this article.

To each their own.. but I wouldn't trade Photoshop for Corel even if they gave it to me for free. GIMP? Meh... just can't get used to it.. for a cheap alternative, I highly recommend Zoner Photo to all newb's looking for an editor and much more.

By far the best Photoshop tip I can give is to buy Lightroom. It will save you many, many hours. When I used to do wedding photography, Lightroom was a joy to use, with many hundreds of shots cropped, shadows lifted, etc. in an hour or two. In Photoshop, that used to take me many hours. I got some of my life back!

Of course there is one key factor. Concentrate on getting composition, exposure, etc. right before you click the shutter! That is something that a great many people forget to do. Then it costs them hours in Photoshop correcting things, because they should have been standing somewhere different, or had the camera set differently in the first place. One of the advantages of being brought up on film is that you learned to do that instinctively!

I couldn't agree more. For everyday uses, Lightroom is definitely the way to go. I still have to drop into Photoshop every now and again for heavy editing of a particularly important shot, but these occasions are pretty rare these days.

If I have a well composed shot using a good lens and nailed focus I never needed photoshop. I bit of cropping and lighting up the shadows is usually all I have to do. I won't spend more money on a software than on printing pictures. iPhoto and Aperture ist enough for me.

Absolutely agree. FAR too much emphasis by the photo press and photographers put on the use of Photoshop. I very rarely use it. Get it right straight out of the camera, the way you had to do with film. Far too many people use the principle of taking far too many shots of the same thing from umpteen different angles these days. By far the best thing you can do to improve your photography is to think like you are using film and that every shot is costing you money.

7.Brush size you can do quicker with right mouse button + ALT together. Left/Right movement then change size of brush and Up/Down change hardness of brush. At least simple right mouse click open quick brush settings dialogue in place of your cursor. And you can quickly customize all parameters and brush type.

Wow. That is an awesome tip. I just tried it with clone, brush, healing tool and smudge and erase...works on all those in resizing tool...did not try it yet on the up down part. But I bet that works the same on these tools as well. Thanks a bunch for that one saves time and wrist movement.

Instead of the first 2 tips, I recommend setting your mousewheel as zoom.Thats always the first thing I set up in photoshop, dunno why they didn't enable it as standard. You find it at preferences > general > zoom with scrollwheel.

By far the biggest thing that sped up my Photoshop workflow was to start using Lightroom instead. I now use Elements instead of CS, for the 1 of 1,000 images that need some pixel-editing. But tip 2 (space bar for drag) works in Lightroom as well.

And the bonus? Both have perpetual licenses, and likely will for the foreseeable future.

It needed to be said; after learning Lightroom, the thought of using Photoshop for regular editing twists my brain. It's there if I need it for that 1 in 1,000, sure, but there's something to be said about using the right tool for the job!

BTW, the article title is clearly about "Photoshop Tips". It assumes you are using PS, especially to do relatively advanced p.p. that is beyond LR or ACR. Too bad some repliers get OT with more or less irrelevant comparisons to alternatives and PS bashing.

FWIW: I've bookmarked Mr. Park's website to take a look at it when time allows, and hopefully pick up more guidance and useful tips.

I was hoping to read something more dedicated. These are very common and general tips which I'm already using and tons more. Learning shortcut keys for the tools and functions I need most is what I do first when I learn new software.

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